nom de plume
Gemala Dewi
Guritno Purwakanti
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Wani Ardy is a published author, a copywriter, a poet-performer, and a speaker/advocate with an academic background in performing arts as well as creative writing. Along with her band, she turns poems into lyrics and stories into songs. Wani has performed live all over Malaysia since 2006. She also has represented Malaysia at art events, music festivals, and literary programs in Singapore, Jakarta, Makassar, Banggai, Sydney, and Melbourne.
Graduating with an MA in Creative Writing from Macquarie University, Wani’s words mainly dance in three languages: Malay, English, and Javanese. Her works have been published in over ten books since 2009, two of which are bestsellers; Langit Vanilla (2011) and Untuk Yang Telah Pergi (2016). Her first memoir in English Language titled The Art of Letting Go(d) (2018) remains as its publisher's bestseller to this day.
Today Wani has grown into more than just a published author-performer. She is also an advocate for rare disorders and women's health - focusing on MRKH syndrome, vaginismus, and sexual anxiety - empowering Nusantara women born without uterus and vagina functionality. An expert by experience, Wani provides non-clinical consultation as a sex & intimacy peer support specialist, while her creative work continues to flow on page and stage. In 2019, she represented Malaysia by speaking and presenting her advocacy work at the Global MRKH Day Conference in Australia.
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At present Wani Ardy is back in the academic world, teaching media and writing-related courses in local higher-learning institutions.
